THE
PROSPECTOR
801 WEST KENSINGTON ROAD, MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056
THE VOICE OF PROSPECT HIGH SCHOOL SINCE 1959
VOLUME 63, ISSUE 6
MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2024
campus safety concerns on the rise University of Georgia murder sheds light on personal safety MOLLIE KEARNS Editor-in-Chief
A
s she started the search for the college campus that would be her home for the next four years, Prospect alumna Shelby Hiskes had a clear checklist of things she was looking for: to get out of the Midwest, to find a larger student population, to feel a strong sense of community within the school and to be immersed in a student body that values academics. Being the only girl in her family, Hiskes said that safety on her future campus went into her college decision, but was not the deciding factor. “[Campus safety] was not at the forefront of my mind,” Hiskes said. “Whenever I went to tour schools, I would look into it, and usually on tours for college campuses they explain their safety measures. Additionally, my parents, especially my dad … were concerned with what their safety measures at each school were and what the history of safety and incidents at each school was.” Hiskes is now settled into her second semester of college at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Ga. Over the course of her first two semesters, Hiskes explained that she has felt safe walking to classes or when hanging out with friends in the downtown area. Even with Hiskes’ confidence in her personal safety, UGA had a recent occurrence which compromised the safety of the entire university population. On Feb. 22, 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley was killed while going for a run on a trail within the campus. Hiskes was shocked when she heard about the incident that happened in her seemingly safe campus. “I was initially very surprised, especially with how close it was to us because it’s on campus,” Hiskes said. “[Riley] was on a trail in a park where a lot of people spend their time walking, running, with their dogs or playing pickleball, and it’s near our intramural fields. So a lot of people are over there just for recreation, and they think it’s safe.” After the murder of Riley was brought into the media, concerns and questions over campus safety were heightened, especially as college decision season approaches for seniors across the country. While campus safety is mainly a priority for each respective college campus, it is important for all students to take their own personal safety seriously and take necessary precautions. For junior Isabella Smith, having a safe college campus is a big factor as she begins her university search. Smith already knows that she does not want to attend college in a big city, since she feels those areas are more prone to crime, especially for women. “I feel like a lot of females always seem like we’re more prone to this type of stuff because we’re like the prey,” Smith said. “For most females, if they do feel this way, they will feel that having a safe campus or a safe environment is the number one factor for anything.” Hiskes agrees with Smith in the sense that females tend to be victimized more than men. According to the American Psychological As-
sociation, up to 25% of female undergraduate students reported being victims of college sexual assault, compared to the 6.8% of male undergraduate students who reported being a victim. Hiskes explains that as someone who runs and often plays sports near the trail Riley was on, the situation hit close to home because it could have happened to her or any of her friends. “I feel like generally, girls are usually targeted more than guys, so if it was a guy running that day, I don’t think the incident would have happened,” Hiskes said. At UGA, Hiskes is a member of the sorority Sigma Kappa. She explained that the UGA’s Greek life especially recognizes that safety is different for girls, and highlights the importance of having a fun college experience while remaining cautious. “Being in an all girl organization, we harp on safety and making sure everyone knows they have people to reach out to and that will look out for them,” Hiskes said. “Our chapter … know[s] that things can happen because they have seen it and remind us frequently how safety comes first and the many ways in which we can stay safe while enjoying our time on and around campus.” In order to feel more confident in her abilities to defend herself, Smith began taking self defense classes a year ago. As
an active member of Prospect theater, Smith was given the opportunity to travel to New York City for spring break this year. However, her parents had some concerns with Smith’s safety during this trip. Since her father is a former police officer, the family decided to enroll Smith in these classes through Krav Maga Illinois in Chicago. “I started going to it even though at the very beginning, I absolutely hated it,” Smith said. “I hated going there. I hated doing it. I was so embarrassed to be going to it just because it’s not a place for younger people … Now I’ve been doing it for a year I think, and at first it was just for the New York trip, but now I’m doing it up until college so that wherever college I go to, I can feel safe around the campus.” Prospect offered self defense as a PE class about 10 years ago, according to Aaron Marnstein, who taught the course. Marnstein used to train in the martial arts, so he wanted to use his own passion for training as a way to teach others how to defend themselves. He said that he often had two or three sections of the course per year, each with around 30 to 40 students enrolled. In the grand scheme of things, though, Marnstein said that only teaching 100 out of 2200
Prospect needs to bring back self defense classes - see page 3 students is a small percentage. Additionally, he said the COVID-19 pandemic impacted In hopes to expand the reach of these classes, he started working with Sensei Jim O’Hara from Focus Martial Arts and Fitness in Lake in the Hills. The two would put together self defense workshops on Saturdays once every three months so that more members of the Prospect community could be involved. Marnstein says that since the course existed in the district, it could potentially be brought back to Prospect. It comes down to finding the instructor that has the interest to have the class start up once again. Last school year, O’Hara teamed up with Prospect alumna Maia Johnson to teach self defense techniques in the Lifestyle Fitness classes for a day.
SEE ‘ASSURANCE’ ON PG. 2
DEFEND: Keychains like this, equipped with pepper spray and other self defense tools, are carried around by many students as a defense mechanism. (illustration by Luca Nicolaie)
What’s inside: issue 6 Pages 6/7
Through Prospect-sponsored spring break trips, students explore all corners of the globe
Page 8
Alumnus Ian Brennan, co-creator of “Glee” and “Dahmer,” reflects on how the Prospect Fine Arts department influenced his film career
Page 11
Senior Jack Mannion shares the ups and downs during his experience as a varsity baseball pitcher/hitter